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What is Wildlife Rehabilitation?
The goal of wildlife rehabilitation is to provide professional care to sick,
injured, and orphaned wild animals so they can ultimately be returned to their
natural habitats. Those animals who sustain injuries or illnesses that prevent
them from living successfully in the wild usually are euthanized – have their
suffering ended in a humane fashion. Occasionally, individuals who have
recovered from their injuries but are not able to survive in the wild are placed
in education facilities.
Wildlife rehabilitation is not an attempt to turn wild animals into pets.
Patients are held in captivity only until they are able to live independently in
the wild. Fear of humans is a necessary survival trait for wild animals and
every effort is made to minimize human contact and prevent the taming of
rehabilitation patients. Often this is an elaborate and time-consuming process.
Wildlife rehabilitators work with veterinarians to assess injuries and diagnose
a variety of illnesses. Rehabilitators must be able to administer basic first
aid and physical therapy. And-because wild animals are so different from
domestic animals-rehabilitators need extensive knowledge about the species in
their care, including natural history, nutritional requirements, behavioral
issues, and caging considerations. They also need to understand any dangers the
animals may present to rehabilitators.
Almost all birds are protected by federal law; state laws protect most other
kinds of wildlife. To work with mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, wildlife
rehabilitators must be issued special permits from their state wildlife
agencies. Before receiving their permits, they must meet various requirements
such as specialized training, participation in mentorship programs, and facility
inspections. Rehabilitators who wish to care for birds must also get permits
from the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Once they receive their permits,
conscientious rehabilitators continue their education by attending conferences,
seminars, and workshops, by keeping up with published literature, and by
networking with others in the field.
Because of their training, wildlife rehabilitators can help concerned people
decide whether an animal truly needs help. Young birds and mammals should be
returned to their families if at all possible; even well trained rehabilitators
are not equivalent replacements for biological parents. Rehabilitators can
provide instructions for how to reunite wildlife families, keeping the safety of
the animals and the rescuers in mind, and they can suggest humane, long-term
solutions when conflicts arise between humans and their wild neighbors.
Can I Keep Him? No!
Did you know that in most states, it is
illegal for an unlicensed individual to possess native Wildlife, even if you are
simply trying to help. Wildlife is protected by both state and federal laws,
breaking of these laws is punishable by fine, possible detention or both. It is
also illegal to transport any wildlife across state lines without written
expressed permission.
If you have found a wild animal that is truly in crisis, you may be facing a
dilemma. Of course, you want to do what’s best for the animal, but you may find
it difficult to turn him or her over to a rehabilitator. Letting go can be hard
when the animal is a baby. The temptation to care for the baby yourself may be
strong. And having eager young children in the house begging to raise him or her
does not make the decision any easier. So why can’t you keep the animal?
Is it truly orphaned: Many parents of young
Wildlife often take their young out to teach them to forage for food on their
own. Young birds often leave the nest before they are able to fly, but you can
be sure either Mom, Pop or both of them are very close by, watching and waiting
to protect in a seconds notice. The same with young animals. Mom may be close
by, observing her young ones progress, so don't always be too sure that young
"thing" you see needs help. It may be on a learning expedition and your
intervention may cost it the proper upbringing and training it needs from it's
birth Mother. The responsible thing to do is to stay away, observe, see if a
parent is in attendance. In the case of Raccoon, the birth Mom may be moving her
kits to a new den and a youngster may be left unattended for hours. Wait, watch
- make sure the wee one truly needs your help. Finding orphans
near a dead Mother:
This sad scenario will
most certainly call for your help. If the wee ones are small and show little or
no signs of aggression, put on gloves or wrap your hands in a t-shirt,
sweatshirt or some means to protect yourself and gently pick them up, but be
cautious. Never forget, even a tiny wild baby has the natural instinct to
survive and may bite out of fear trying to protect itself. Wrap them in
something, your coat, your sweatshirt or a blanket. Body core temperature is
essential for survival and more than likely the babies have been staying near
their dead Mother trying to keep warm, even in the summertime. Keep the babies
warm and quiet, preferably in a darkened place to help them calm down from your
intervention. They don't have a clue who or what you are and how you handle them
now will have a big impact on their later successful rehabilitation. I know
they're as cute as all get out, but the less you handle them initially, the
quicker they will respond to help, once they are willing to accept it. If you
are taking the wee ones to your home while you are locating a trained Wildlife
Rehabilitator, keep them in a covered box in a dark, quiet spot. Place the box
On Top of a heating pad set on LOW situated so that their box is on Half
of the heating pad. This will allow the babies to move to the "cool" side if
they become too warm. If you don't have a heating pad a clean plastic bottle
filled with hot tap water tightly capped off wrapped in old t-shirts or sheeting
will do. Toweling material is not advisable as they can catch their tiny nails
in it and cause damage to themselves or possible suffocation.
Do Not Attempt To Feed Orphans Attempting to feed
orphaned young before they have calmed down or before their core body
temperature has risen to an acceptable level may and has caused death. They
don't need to eat, they need to calm down and only you can help them do that by
keeping them very quiet. Please do not allow children to handle or pet Wildlife,
it is not only stressful to the orphan but can be very dangerous as Wildlife MAY
carry disease and or harmful parasites. By now you can and should be locating a
licensed Wildlife Rehabilitator.
In almost every case, keeping a wild animal is illegal. Native wildlife species
are protected by state laws, federal laws, or both. To keep a wild animal in
captivity for any length of time, for any reason, requires a special permit.
Most cities and many counties have passed local ordinances that prevent
individuals from keeping wild animals in captivity. Many neighborhood
associations or covenants also prohibit keeping wildlife within property
boundaries.
More importantly, wild animals deserve the best possible care. Providing the
proper care is challenging because each species has specialized needs. Orphans
need special diets and formulas to grow strong and healthy. They must also learn
survival skills including how to recognize and find food, how to escape
predators, and how and where to make a nest, den, or burrow before they are
released back into the wild. Young animals need to be raised in the company of
their own kind for proper behavioral development. Infections, parasites, and
injuries are difficult to detect and treat in wild animals.
There is also the welfare of your own family to consider. Wild animals can be
dangerous, especially when frightened or injured. Wildlife diseases, such as
distemper, may pose a threat to companion animals, while others, including
rabies, can be transmitted to humans, too. Turning the animals over to a
permitted wildlife rehabilitator is the best way to safeguard human and pet
safety while providing the wild animal with the best chance of survival.
Most people who want to care for a wild animal themselves plan to release the
animal once it is grown or has recovered from its injuries. That is the goal of
wildlife rehabilitation, but rehabilitators have an advantage when they return
their patients to the wild-they have years of experience in letting go. Learning
to avoid becoming too attached to a patient is an important part of becoming a
good wildlife rehabilitator.
If you are tempted to care for a wild animal on your own, please ask yourself
these questions first:
1. What is the best thing I can do for this animal?
2. If I’m having a hard time letting go of the animal now, how will I feel after
I’ve really grown attached?
3. Am I prepared to deal with the legal and financial consequences of keeping a
wild animal illegally? How will I feel if the animal is discovered, confiscated,
and possibly euthanized?
4. Can I be certain that, once I’ve released the animal back to the wild, it
will be capable of surviving on its own? Am I providing the best possible chance
for survival?
5. How will I feel if the animal does not survive or is permanently impaired by
improper care?